Avalanche Hits Belarusian Tourists on Russia’s Kola Peninsula

A rescue operation is under way in the Lovozero Massif mountain range located in the center of the Kola Peninsula in the far north of Russia after an avalanche hit a party of Belarusian skiers.

Four people – two women and two men aged between 19 and 29 years – are missing after the accident that happened at the Tavayog pass 26 kilometers of the village of Revda in the Lovozero district on Sunday afternoon, Maryya Vanshyna, deputy head of the Belarusian foreign ministry’s press office, told BelaPAN.

Two members of the party managed to escape the avalanche.

They first attempted unsuccessfully to dig their companions out on their own. The two young men got to Lovozero to report the accident only on Monday evening, according to Russian media reports.The six are residents of the Brest region, and members of the Brest Tourist Club.